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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26865865">From the Ashes and Rubble</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseMinerva/pseuds/RoseMinerva'>RoseMinerva</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender, The 100 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Earthbending, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Follows canon Avatar events-ish, M/M, Minor Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Minor Emori/John Murphy (The 100), Minor Eric Jackson/Nathan Miller, Minor Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Minor Monty Green/Harper McIntyre, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Two of my favorite fandoms combined because why not, Zutara and Bellarke Parallels</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:35:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>18,207</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26865865</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseMinerva/pseuds/RoseMinerva</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke fled the Fire Nation capital after the death of her father. She left the only home she had ever known and quickly realized how much she had to learn about life outside of her country. Hiding her true identity while trying to find herself, Clarke hoped to start over someplace safe from the Fire Nation's influence. Bellamy was forced to flee his village in the southern Earth Kingdom after Fire Nation soldiers burnt it down. He and his sister traveled together, hoping to find a place untouched by war, before they were separated in the foggy swamp. Overrun with guilt but needing to protect his own identity, Bellamy finally made it to Ba Sing Se. And so did Clarke.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi Everyone! This is an idea that sprung into my mind one night and I just had to write it because I felt that it fit two of my favorite shows so perfectly. I love The 100 and I love Avatar: The Last Airbender and I found a way to combine the two into what I hope is an engaging and exciting story. I also want to note that I was inspired to write a Bellarke AU crossover fic by @Pawprinter's work. This is set during the canon events of Avatar: The Last Airbender although I stretch out the time between events in the TV show. Canon Avatar characters will be referenced and they might pop in later (shh no spoilers) but you don't need to know them to read this story. And yes, Zutara is canon in this AU. I have a lot of this story plotted out and some chapters written already. I do plan on it being pretty long with flashback content as well. This is the first fan fiction I have written in a very long time so please bear with me. I appreciate feedback always! Content warnings for this story include violence, adult language/themes, mentions of sexual assault and child abuse and eventual sexual content. Also I don't have anyone reading over these chapters so there might be minor errors, if you spot anything major please let me know. I really appreciate comments and kudos! Also feel free to ask if you have any questions at all about the Avatar universe or the 100 or if you don't understand something in my writing. I'm so excited to start posting this story!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clarke awoke with a start, like she did almost every day since she had left her home. Not that the Fire Nation could be considered her home anymore. She didn’t have a home.  </p><p>Her back ached from the hard floor she had slept on but she managed to rouse herself upright before too long. She had been in Ba Sing Se for almost a week now and yet she hadn’t managed to find a decent place to sleep. </p><p>When she had fled the capital, she thought she had brought enough money to start a new life half a world away. She had been wrong. She had been cheated, scammed and robbed too many times to count along the way. By the time she finally got to Ba Sing Se, she had been surviving on scraps for weeks and begging just to get by.</p><p>If only her mother could see her now, she would surely go mad just at the sight of Clarke’s grubby, calloused hands, blistered feet, sunburned skin and torn clothes. </p><p>Clarke made her way downstairs, greeted by harsh morning light and her growling stomach. She had been sleeping on the floor of an abandoned store since she had arrived in Ba Sing Se. She had found her way here in the dark, scared half to death that she was going to be dragged off into an alley along the way. She couldn’t firebend in the Earth Kingdom unless she wanted to end up in jail or dead and that left her feeling utterly defenseless. </p><p>She had gathered up her meager possessions and decided this was the day she was finally going to get a job and her own place. She had saved up some money from the last week, begging on the corner of the block, but it wouldn’t be enough. She needed a job and… she needed to sell the one thing of value that she had left.</p><p>The thought left a sour taste in her mouth which was only exacerbated by her hunger pains. She trudged out the front door after making an effort to brush her hair out and make herself look as presentable as she could. </p><p>She made her way down the street, clutching her worn-out bag to her side, keeping her eyes down. Clarke eventually reached her destination, a small shop that she had scoped out earlier in the week that bought and sold various collectible items. She shuffled inside, still keeping her eyes down. </p><p>“Hi. I have something to sell,” she said, her voice hoarse from lack of use. </p><p>The man behind the counter smiled a bit gently at her after sizing her up. </p><p>“Ah, a refugee are you?”</p><p>Clarke was, she supposed, a refugee of the war, but in a very different way than most of those around her. Still, she nodded.</p><p>“It’s jewelry,” she said quietly and slowly reached into her bag. </p><p>“Alright then, let’s see it.” </p><p>She pulled out the gold ring, clenching her fingers around it for the last time. It had been her father’s. She played with it in her fingers for a moment before sliding it onto the counter. Her heart ached at the idea of parting with it, but it was solid gold, and she needed to get back onto her feet. It’s what he would’ve wanted, she told herself, as if that made her feel any better about it. </p><p>“Well that’s a nice piece of metal you’ve got there young lady, looks to be a man’s ring,” he said. “An ex-boyfriend’s perhaps?”</p><p>“No," Clarke said in a tone that she hoped implied she was not going to divulge any more. </p><p>The man took the ring and turned around, inspecting it carefully. </p><p>Clarke tensed up, hoping this man was not going to be like so many others and cheat her out of the one thing she had left that might be worth anything.</p><p>“Listen, I can tell it must be hard for you to part with this. And it’s a very beautiful ring indeed, we don’t see many like this in the Earth Kingdom so I certainly hope it’s not stolen. But anyway, I’m willing to give you a fair price for it,” he said after a minute. </p><p>Clarke let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding in.</p><p>The man placed a pile of money on the counter and Clarke thanked Agni that it did in fact seem like he wasn’t going to swindle her. She sniffed slightly, realizing she would never hold anything her father owned again, before collecting the money into her purse. </p><p>“Thank you,” she said quietly, still not really meeting the man's eyes. </p><p>“Take care of yourself out there young lady,” he said, as she exited the store. </p><p>With the money jangling in her purse, Clarke set out to the apartment she had been eyeing earlier. It was nice enough for the lower ring and well maintained. The shopkeeper below it said his niece had lived there, but she had left to marry a man from the middle ring and now he needed to rent it out to someone new. She had begged him to give her a week to get the money, and now she had it. </p><p>When she reached her destination, she took a deep breath. Things were going to get better from here, she promised herself. She would have a safe place to stay, to shower, to eat. She could find a good job and provide for herself. She could meet her neighbors and learn more about the city. Maybe, she could even make a friend. </p><p>She wondered briefly what her friends back in the capital thought of her now. A traitor, a coward, a runaway. Clarke pushed the thoughts away and entered the shop. The shopkeeper, a tan man with flecks of grey in his black hair, was sweeping between the shelves of dried goods. </p><p>“Hi Ren, I have the money for the apartment upstairs,” she said softly, hoping not to startle him.</p><p>He turned around and flashed her a smile, “Clarke! I’m so happy to hear that, it’ll be lovely to have you stay there.”</p><p>She gave him a reluctant half smile and forked over the amount they had agreed upon. </p><p>“Excellent, I’ll show you up right now,” he said before turning over his shoulder to shout, “Monty, get out here!” </p><p>A boy her age with similar features to Ren walked out and smiled briefly at her.</p><p>“Watch the shop for your pa while I show Miss Clarke here to her apartment upstairs,” he told the boy. </p><p>“Sure thing,” he responded. “Nice to meet you, Clarke.”</p><p>Clarke smiled slightly in return while Ren took her upstairs.</p><p>The apartment was sparsely furnished but plenty spacious for just her. There was a small kitchen, a bathroom, bedroom and dining area. It was perfect. After months on the road, it felt so soothing to have a place to call home. </p><p>“Thank you so much, Ren,” Clarke said genuinely, turning to look at the man beside her. </p><p>“Of course, do you have a job yet then?”</p><p>“No, but I’m spending the rest of the day looking until I find one. I intend to pay my rent every month and not give you any trouble,” she said.</p><p>“I’m sure of that Clarke,” he said. “Listen, my friend Chin down the street owns a small shop. He sells all sorts of crafts from ceramics to jewelry to paintings. You said you're good with art, yeah? And you know your numbers well?”</p><p>“Yes!” she said, excitement bubbling up inside. She desperately missed art. Back home, she had done everything from embroidery to calligraphy but mainly drawing. It was one of the few things she had enjoyed about the Royal Fire Academy for Girls.</p><p>“Well he’s looking for an assistant, someone to keep the books and watch the shop,” Ren said. “If you make any good pieces, he might even be willing to sell them as well. His last assistant has gone missing unfortunately, too many good young men going missing these days.” He shook his head sadly.</p><p>Clarke nodded although she honestly didn’t know what he was talking about since she hadn’t been in the city for long and hadn’t kept up with any sort of news either. “That sounds perfect, I will go down there immediately,” Clarke said, remembering the manners that had been drilled into her. “Thank you so much for the apartment and for thinking of me for the job. I am honored.” She bowed afterward.</p><p>Ren looked amused after she bowed but shook his head slightly and said, “No problem Clarke, tell Chin I sent you. I’ll see you around the shop later then.” And then he plodded off down the stairs. </p><p>Clarke smiled to herself and went to inspect the rest of the house. She happily discovered there were a few pieces of leftover clothing in the closet, from Ren’s niece she supposed. She decided to shower and put on the green cotton dress before heading down to the shop. She wanted to look professional for her new boss. </p><p>After she got cleaned up, she took a minute to sit at the edge of her bed. Her bed. It felt so gratifying to finally have something that was her own. Everything at home had been her parents and everything she did felt like it was to pay them for what she owed. As if she had asked for any of it at all. </p><p>Clearing her thoughts, she decided to head out. She tried her best not to think about the Fire Nation. Not to think about the spicy food she craved or the fire inside her that she had not tended to in ages. She quickly walked down to the shop that Ren had directed her to.</p><p>The shop was unassuming from the outside, simply labeled Chin’s Fine Art, but the inside was beautiful. There were rows of tapestries, paintings, vases, jewelry and every other type of craft she could think of. She hadn’t expected a shop in the lower ring to have such high-quality art pieces, but then again, everyone wanted to decorate their homes right? </p><p>She cleared her throat to get the attention of who she presumed was Chin. He was dusting a beautiful ceramic pot. He turned around, without so much as a smile, “Yes?”</p><p>“Um, well Ren sent me over, Ren from the shop down the way. I’m staying in the apartment above his place. He said you’re looking for an assistant. I’m actually an artist myself. Well, I was. But I’m great with numbers too. And I’m organized,” Clarke found herself rambling and cut herself off.</p><p>“Hmm,” he said, taking a minute to look her up and down. “You’re not from here are you?”</p><p>This was the question she hated getting. It was hard to answer, even after months of being asked it. All along the way to Ba Sing Se, people wanted to know where she was from. Soldiers, refugees, barkeepers. She knew she didn’t look Earth Kingdom, being pale with light eyes and hair.</p><p>“I’m a refugee,” Clarke said shortly, hoping that would put an end to it.</p><p>Chin held up his hands, “Ok then, that’s all I need to know. I don’t need an artist though. I just need an assistant. I need someone to track the purchases, watch the store, keep it clean.”</p><p>Clarke nodded, “Of course. I’m happy to do all of that.” </p><p>They spent a few minutes discussing her wage and hours. He needed her four days a week from morning till evening and he offered her a fair but meager wage compared to what she was used to back home. They shook hands and she promised to be there on Monday to learn the ropes, which left her with the rest of the weekend to get settled in to her new place.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I know it was a little lacking in plot, but it's mainly to set up Clarke's new life in Ba Sing Se and introduce you to the setting. Next chapter we will get to see Bellamy for the first time. Also, I realize the 100 names are very different from canon Avatar names but oh well, here we are, I do my best to keep up with canon knowledge from Avatar but I might bend things a bit to make this crossover work.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I decided to post two chapters at once! I hope you all enjoy and as always, please feel free to leave feedback in the comments.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the first time in a while, Clarke didn’t awake with a start. She yawned and stretched in her bed before clambering out of it. She’d been working at her new job for a week now and she was really getting the hang of it. She no longer needed Chin there to supervise her.</p><p>Clarke headed to her bathroom to comb out her hair and change into her work clothes. She had enough money now to buy a few outfits and food to cook with. She wore light brown trousers in the baggy Earth Kingdom style with a dark green sash tied around her waist. Her tunic was a soft green color that billowed out at her arms. She favored wearing pants and larger clothing for ease of movement, not that she was able to bend anyways. </p><p>Clarke walked downstairs and entered the shop below her apartment. Monty was behind the counter as he usually was in the mornings while his father went shopping. </p><p>“Hi Monty,” she greeted. Over the past week, she had found out that Monty was 18 like her and was trying to get admitted to Ba Sing Se University. Monty was passionate about science, especially agricultural science, and had tried more than a few times to explain his ideas to Clarke. </p><p>“Morning Clarke,” he responded cheerfully. </p><p>Clarke walked to the back of the store, browsing the aisles for a snack to take to work. She eventually settled on a papaya and turned to go purchase it. She paused at the sight of a man talking to Monty, she hadn’t seen him in the store before.</p><p>She shuffled a bit closer, poking her head around the aisle to get a better view, and ended up hearing part of their conversation. </p><p>“Of course,” Monty was saying to the man, “Bellamy you know you’re welcome anytime.”</p><p>Bellamy? She had never heard that name before. Granted, most Earth Kingdom names were strange to her ears. </p><p>The man was taller than Monty, with dark hair curling around his ears and tan skin that suggested he was definitely Earth Kingdom. Freckles were splattered across his face, although she could only see his right side from where she was positioned. He was honestly a very attractive man and clearly a bit older than she was. </p><p>“Thanks again for the groceries Monty,” the man, Bellamy, she reminded herself, said in a deep voice. “Maybe I will come by.” </p><p>It was at that moment that Clarke lost her grip on the shelf she was holding on to and tumbled forward out of the aisle. </p><p>Bellamy and Monty both turned towards her and she tried quickly to stand up straight, flashing a sheepish smile at them. Bellamy gave her one look before turning around, taking his produce and leaving the store. </p><p>She furrowed her eyebrows, a bit upset that he hadn’t even returned her smile, much less said hello. Oh well, she thought, it’s probably better not to make friends right away when you still can’t even get your own backstory straight. </p><p>She bought the papaya and left the store, having to jog a bit to make sure she made it to work on time. </p><p>It was slow at the shop today and on slow days her mind often wandered back to places it shouldn’t. She had tried so hard the past week to fall into her new identity, Clarke the shop assistant, Clarke the young, single refugee, Clarke the nobody. But when she was alone it was hard to force herself to forget her past, forget her home, her family and friends and everything she left behind. </p><p>But mostly, Clarke thought about her father. He had been a complicated man, but one that she loved with all her heart. He was kind and loving with her, someone who she respected and believed had a good heart. He taught her to firebend. He taught her to swim and took her on vacations whenever he could. He always brought her back a present from his trips, usually some art supplies or a book. </p><p>Her father had loved her and he had loved their country. He had counseled Clarke not to be too trusting in everything she heard, to put her country before politics, to value helping people above pride and honor. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to her that he was not cut out to be an advisor to the Fire Lord forever. </p><p>Fire Lord Ozai was too cruel, too callous, too vindictive. When Clarke’s father counseled restraint or diplomacy, Ozai rained fire on innocents. Of course, no one in the Fire Nation was told of this, almost everyone believed the propaganda fed to them from such a young age. But Clarke knew, only because she spent hours pouring over her father’s documents before she escaped the capital. </p><p>Memories of her father played in her head when she was alone, most of them happy, but the one she tried to tamp down the most came to her today.</p><p>
  <em> It was evening and neither of her parents were home yet, which was strange, especially for her mother. Abby was a dutiful wife and mother, a noblewoman to her core. She ran the healing center in the capital, but always made sure to be home for dinner. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Clarke was sore all over after a long day of firebending training. Her teacher was strict and often harsh with his students, but Clarke was at the top of the class. She was using her hands to heat her sore muscles, relaxing on the couch in her living room when she heard it. The sound that signaled an Agni Kai. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Clarke closed her eyes and tried to block out the noise of the gong. Eventually, it faded away. She hated this Fire Nation tradition. She hated that Ozai had enforced among the nobles that an Agni Kai was the ultimate defense of your honor and that if you did not take up the challenge, you were killed anyway. She never attended the Agni Kai duels, not after the first one she went to. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Clarke’s father was often out late attending war meetings or having dinner with his fellow advisors, so honestly, she thought nothing of the fact he was not home yet. He probably had to attend the Agni Kai that was happening. And her mother had probably been held up at the hospital she figured. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>A couple of hours later, the door to her house flew open. Clarke had been laying on the living room floor, sketching a portrait of her best friend Wells under candlelight. The weather had shifted and it was pouring rain, which wasn’t unusual for the season.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Clarke got to her feet when she saw that her mother was standing in the doorway, soaking wet. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Mom? Where have you been?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her mom didn’t respond, but finally shut the door and dropped her bag on the floor. When she looked up and met Clarke’s eyes, Clarke flinched. Abby’s eyes were cold, but there were unmistakable tears running out of them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“M-Mom?” Clarke had asked, her voice trembling.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Clarke… honey,” she said slowly, as if she had forgotten how to pronounce her daughter’s name. “Your father is dead.” </em>
</p><p>The bell on the shop door jingled, shaking Clarke out of her memories. She sniffed and quickly wiped away the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. Get it together Clarke, she told herself. </p><p>When she looked up to see who was in the store, she was surprised to see it was Monty, arm in arm with a young woman. </p><p>“Clarke!” He greeted her happily, tugging the woman over. “This is my girlfriend Harper, I wanted you to meet her.”</p><p>Harper was a bit flustered but smiling wide. While Monty’s hair was dark, hers was a soft brown and her eyes were the same shade, with flecks of green. “Hi Clarke! It’s nice to meet you,” she said. </p><p>“It’s nice to meet you too,” Clarke said after a moment, not wanting her voice to shake. </p><p>“Listen, Clarke,” Monty said from beside Harper, “We are having a little get together at our friend’s apartment tomorrow night. We all hang out pretty much every Saturday night. I know you’re new in town and I thought you might like to meet some people our age.” </p><p>Clarke’s heart leapt into her throat, she would very much like to meet people her own age. She had been alone for so, so long now and she desperately missed saying more than a couple of sentences to someone. But on the other hand, she was hiding something. A lot of things. Things that would make this sweet couple hate her if they knew. </p><p>Harper must have sensed Clarke’s hesitation because she piped up, “It’s just a couple of friends having drinks and playing some games. It’s no big deal, but we’d love for you to come.” </p><p>Clarke smiled a bit and found herself saying, “Sure, I’ll be there.” </p><p>“Great!” They both said at the same time and then laughed to themselves. They gave her the information to get to the party and then left the store. </p><p>Clarke sat back in her chair, finding herself feeling something she hadn’t in months, excited. She had a job, a place to live, food, clothes and maybe even new friends. Maybe she really could build a new life here for her new self.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another chapter!! I think I've finally plotted out this whole story and I'm really excited. It's definitely going to be a long one. Just for some context, these last few chapters have been happening while Aang is in the Northern Water Tribe. Clarke is 18 and Bellamy is 22 right now. This story will generally follow the events of Avatar but with more time in between events so that I can focus on the characters in Ba Sing Se. Also I've figured out when the canon Avatar characters are going to interact with the 100 characters and I'm really excited about that.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On Saturday, Clarke found herself distinctly nervous. She hadn’t been to a party in a long, long time. She hadn’t been around more than one person her own age in a long, long time. And she had never been to a party in the Earth Kingdom. Her friends in the Fire Nation had been other nobles, they went out to nice restaurants, drank at their family’s vacation homes and attended galas. She had no idea what to expect tonight. </p><p>Clarke had decided to put on a dress, one that was dark green with a white sash. She hoped it was presentable enough and not out of place. She missed the reds and golds of her home. She always had looked good in red. </p><p>She grabbed her bag and headed out, following the directions Monty had given her. The apartment was in a nicer neighborhood of the lower ring, right near the gate to the middle ring. </p><p>She paused for a minute outside the apartment and took a deep breath, running over the list of things in her head that she could not talk about. You are not Fire Nation. You are not a noblewoman. You are not a Griffin. You are not a firebender. She had spent a long time that day rehearsing her backstory, making sure that no one would suspect she wasn’t who she said she was. </p><p>Steeling herself, she knocked on the door. A woman with long dark hair that was pulled up into a ponytail opened the door, “Who are you?” </p><p>“Oh, um, hi. I’m Clarke,” she said, worried she had gone to the wrong apartment. </p><p>Suddenly Monty appeared behind the girl and nudged her aside, “Clarke! Glad you made it. This is Raven, it’s her apartment,” he said, looking at the girl next to him. </p><p>Raven gave Clarke a small smile and stood aside so Clarke could enter the room. </p><p>“I live here with Harper,” she said to Clarke. “We attend Ba Sing Se University. I’m an engineer.” </p><p>Harper had walked into the hallway to greet Clarke. “Well you’re almost an engineer,” she said teasingly to Raven, “You’ve still got to graduate.” </p><p>Raven chuckled a bit and seemed to lighten up.</p><p>Harper reached out and grabbed Clarke’s hand, “C’mon I wanna introduce you to everyone else.” </p><p>The four of them reached the living room and Clarke heard people chattering happily. When Clarke stepped through the doorway, the talking suddenly ceased. </p><p>“Everyone, this is Clarke,” Monty said, tugging Clarke forward.</p><p>Clarke tried her best to smile at everyone, mentally repeating her mantra of: “I am Clarke. I’m a refugee. I fled my home. I work in Ba Sing Se. I want to be an artist. I hate the Fire Nation.” All these things were true albeit only part of the truth. </p><p>"That's Jasper, we've been best friends since we were kids," Monty said, pointing at a boy her age. 

</p>
<p>“This is Emori,” Harper said pointing to a young woman with dark hair and a beautiful tattoo on her face. “She works at a pawn shop down the street.” </p><p>“This is her boyfriend Murphy,” she continued, pointing at the man sitting beside her, who had been scowling the whole time. “He works as a security guard with…” Harper seemed to be searching the room, “Bellamy!” </p><p>Bellamy had just walked out of the kitchen, a glass of something Clarke assumed was alcohol in his hand. </p><p>“Bellamy, this is Clarke, she lives above Monty’s shop,” Harper explained, not knowing about Clarke’s awkward encounter with him a couple of days ago. </p><p>Bellamy was wearing a tight green shirt and brown trousers. Now that Clarke could look at him head-on, she realized how broad his shoulders were and couldn’t help but focus on how large his hands were as they clasped the cup of alcohol. </p><p>“Hi,” he said shortly, in a deep voice that made her feel a little buzz in her stomach. </p><p>Clarke blinked and when she got words out she stuttered, “H-Hi.” She mentally shook herself. I sound like a smitten schoolgirl, get it together Clarke, you’re an adult now, she thought. </p><p>Harper scanned the room and then pointed to two men sitting at a table near the couch, “And that’s Miller and Jackson. Miller also works with Murphy and Bellamy. Jackson is studying medicine at the university.” </p><p>Clarke smiled and gave them a little wave, which she realized looked really dumb after she did it. She never had the best social skills despite the hours of etiquette lessons forced upon her like all noble girls. </p><p>Raven made her way back over to Clarke and was holding a drink in her hand, “Here, I hope you like wine,” she said. </p><p>“Wine is great,” Clarke said, taking the drink from her. It had been a long time since she had alcohol. She had quickly learned it wasn’t wise to drink while traveling alone as a woman in a new country.  </p><p>Harper ushered her over to the floor where Clarke sat down on a pillow next to Monty and Harper. Monty gave Harper a kiss to her temple as she settled in between his legs.</p><p>Clarke couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at their casual affection, it had been so long since she had someone in her life to care for her. She hadn't made friends while traveling to Ba Sing Se, she had been practically alone for months now. </p><p>Emori and Murphy were curled up on the couch together and Bellamy took a seat next to them. Raven took a seat at the table with Miller, Jackson and Jasper. </p><p>Everyone began chatting around Clarke, who sipped on her wine, grateful for the warm feeling that began to spread through her body as she finished the glass. The bottle was on the small sofa table in front of her, so she poured herself another glass. </p><p>Monty and Harper poked Clarke to get her attention and then launched into telling her the story of how they met, which was a very cute story, but Clarke could feel her attention wandering. </p><p>Bellamy was sitting on the couch to her right and she could almost feel his gaze on the back of her head as she was turned to listen to Monty and Harper. She swallowed another gulp of her wine, wondering if she would get the chance to talk to him tonight. She was attracted to him, that much was clear, but he hadn’t seemed the least bit interested in her, barely even looking at her in fact. </p><p>She thought about this a bit more, pondering whether it would even be a good idea to start something with someone from the Earth Kingdom. She hadn’t been with someone since Lexa. <em>Lexa.</em> She had been one of her best friends and lover and she had left her behind when she fled the Fire Nation with only a note explaining why. Lexa was probably married to a nobleman by now and saw Clarke as a traitor and a coward. </p><p>Clarke was startled out of her thoughts by Harper announcing that they were going to play a drinking game. </p><p>“It’s easy, you’ll pick up on it,” Monty whispered from beside her. </p><p>The game was new to her, but Clarke tried to be enthusiastic. It involved cards she had never seen before and drawing certain ones resulted in having to perform an action, usually involving drinking, taking off a piece of clothing, answering a question, or performing a dare. </p><p>Clarke felt awkward as Bellamy pulled off his shirt beside her after drawing a card, she pointedly decided not to look because she felt sure she would stare. Her turn was next and she had to take a shot of the alcohol that they called vodka. It was bitter and burned her throat, but made her body hum in a pleasant way. </p><p>Beside her, Monty drew a card that meant he had to perform a dare and Murphy dared him to kiss Miller. </p><p>“No tongue with my boyfriend,” Harper said, laughing as the two boys kissed. </p><p>“Sorry babe,” Miller said to Jackson after he kissed Monty. Clarke had inferred early on in the night that the two men were dating and was happy to see that no one in the group seemed to give it a second thought. </p><p>The game went on for another hour as more people lost their clothing, got drunk and talked about various illegal and scandalous things they had done. </p><p>Clarke normally would have been uncomfortable in a social situation with so many new people, but she was pretty buzzed at this point and decided to go with it. She actually liked everyone there and was feeling pretty desperate for friends. As if having friends here would solidify that this was her life now and there was no going back. </p><p>“Ok well I guess the weirdest place I’ve had sex would have to be the beach,” Clarke said after pulling a card, giggling slightly, “And by the way, sand is not conducive to a good time.” </p><p>Harper and Monty laughed beside her. </p><p>“I wish I could just see the beach,” Raven said wistfully, “I’ve never even left Ba Sing Se.”</p><p>“It’s not that great outside of these walls,” Emori said sadly. “I would know.” Earlier on she had told Clarke that she and her brother fled their village when they were young after the Fire Nation took it over. </p><p>“So would I,” Bellamy said quietly from beside her. </p><p>Clarke almost started at the sound of his voice, he had been pretty quiet throughout the whole game, only talking when the game made him. </p><p>The group was silent for a minute before Raven cleared her throat, “Ok, shots for everyone!” </p><p>Everyone laughed a little and grabbed a shot from the table. Clarke threw hers back, the taste had grown on her slightly and she didn’t want to gag anymore when the vodka hit the back of her throat.</p><p>A little while later they had run out of cards. Clarke was pretty drunk at this point. She had shared some funny stories about her sex life with Lexa that everyone seemed to have found amusing and no one batted an eyelash at learning that she was bisexual. She had even been dared to kiss Raven and the two girls had laughed together during it. </p><p>Things are very different in the Earth Kingdom, she mused, maybe I really can be happy here in a way that I wasn’t in the capital. </p><p>She was helping clean up all the glasses when she stumbled slightly while walking back to the living room. Bellamy had been passing by her at that moment and reached his hand out to steady her, his fingers gripping the long sleeve of her dress. </p><p>“You okay there?” He said quietly. </p><p>“Um, yes. Just a bit drunk I guess,” Clarke said, trying not to giggle, when did she become a girl who giggles? She wiped the smile off her face when she realized Bellamy was giving her a rather stern look. “Uh, thank you.” </p><p>He pulled his hand back from her arm, “You live above Monty’s shop right?”</p><p>“Uh, yes.” </p><p>“Well I live down the street from you, I’ll walk you home.”</p><p>“Oh you don’t have to, I’ll just head back with Monty,” Clarke said, although spending more time with Bellamy didn’t sound terrible despite the fact that he had barely said two words to her all night. </p><p>Bellamy gave her an odd look and then motioned his head towards the living room. Monty was passed out on the couch with Harper curled up around him. Jasper was also passed out on the floor beneath them.</p><p>“Oh-kay then…” Clarke said, “I will take you up on that offer.” She really didn’t want to wander around the lower ring in the dark when she couldn’t even use her bending. If Monty was friends with Bellamy he couldn't be too bad, plus as a security guard, he must have some fighting ability. </p><p>Bellamy nodded and walked with her to the living room, pulling his shirt over his head. Clarke took a moment to stare at his very well defined muscles as he did so, looking away only when he met her eyes and raised his eyebrows at her. </p><p>She coughed a little, embarrassed that he had caught her staring.</p><p>“Are you ready to leave?” He asked. </p><p>“Yep.” </p><p>“Ok then,” he looked around the room until he saw Raven who was putting away the cards, “Bye Raven, thanks for having me over.” </p><p>“Bye, it was nice to meet you,” Clarke said, realizing in the back of her mind that she was slurring her words a little. Damn, how did she let herself get so drunk? She just met most of these people. She was in a strange city with no friends and she had let her guard down. </p><p>Bellamy had already reached the door when he realized Clarke wasn’t behind him and turned to give her a look, “C’mon.” </p><p>Clarke shook herself and jogged after him. He held the door open for her as they stepped outside. There was a chill in the air as they began their walk down to the neighborhood they lived in, it must be the early hours of the morning she realized. </p><p>Clarke wasn’t cold though, as drunk as she was, she knew instinctively to stoke her inner fire to keep herself warm. </p><p>Bellamy’s hand brushed against hers as they rounded a corner, “Wow, you’re warm,” he remarked. </p><p>Clarke lost her concentration at his touch and shivered a bit as her inner fire waned, “Oh yeah, I run hot I guess.” It was dangerous to even firebend internally, she should've known better. </p><p>He said nothing as they continued their walk, but she could see his eyes scanning the alleys and corners they passed as if he was constantly on the lookout for danger.</p><p>“So... you’re a security guard?” Clarke asked, trying to spark a conversation to pass the time. </p><p>“Yes, Murphy and Miller and I are basically guards for hire. I’m stationed in the middle ring right now as the personal guard of a wealthy family,” Bellamy explained, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of them. After a moment he asked, “Where do you work?”</p><p>She smiled a little at his awkward pause, he didn’t seem to have the best social skills, which she certainly understood, “I work in an arts and crafts store nearby. I’m actually an artist but I’m just an assistant for now, my work isn’t good enough yet to be sold.” </p><p>“What kind of art do you do?” He asked, his voice low and quiet as if he was asking for a secret. </p><p>“Drawing mostly, I love doing portraits of people and sometimes painting landscapes,” she responded. </p><p>“I’m sure your work is great,” he said, finally turning his head slightly to glance at her, even giving her a small smile. </p><p>Clarke met his dark eyes with her own and couldn’t help but smile back at him, feeling a bit silly for being so mesmerized by his looks earlier. He was just a nice person who wasn’t great at making conversation. A refugee too from what little he had shared that night.</p><p>“Maybe I’ll bring some of my drawings the next time I see you,” Clarke said, in an equally quiet tone. </p><p>“That would be nice,” Bellamy said, his voice a bit gruff. </p><p>They eventually reached Monty’s family’s shop and her apartment above it. </p><p>“Well this is it,” Clarke said, her voice a little wobbly from the alcohol although walking had definitely helped sober her up. </p><p>Bellamy nodded, “Alright, have a good night Clarke.” </p><p>Clarke smiled at him, happy to hear her name come out of his mouth, steadying herself against the door to the shop, “Thank you for walking me home Bellamy.”</p><p>He just gave her a small smile, his eyes lingering on her face for a moment before he turned and walked off into the dark street. </p><p>Clarke pulled out her key and managed to make it up the stairs and into her room.</p><p>She fell flat on her bed, burying her face into her pillow and groaning. She was definitely going to be hungover tomorrow. It was worth it, she thought, smiling to herself. She might have new friends now. </p><p>Clarke knew that she should be more concerned about it. She had gotten drunk and shared a good amount of personal information at the party. She hadn’t planned on telling any of them about Lexa or anyone from her past life, but she had. </p><p>And then Bellamy had walked her home. She thought about shirtless Bellamy and the shock she felt when his hand touched hers. </p><p>Get ahold of yourself, she thought a bit angrily, he’s just nice, that’s all ... and nice to look at. </p><p>It only took a few moments after her eyes closed for sleep to overtake her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter four is here! I hope everyone enjoys. I want to say thank you so much for the kudos and as always I appreciate comments and feedback too. I'm still in the writing process and I'm more than happy to incorporate new ideas etc.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clarke was content. It was a feeling that was new to her. Even back in the capital, she never really felt content. She was always on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting to hear that someone else had died or some new horrible law had been enacted.</p><p>The last few weeks in Ba Sing Se left her feeling like she might have found her home. She was more wary of sharing personal information after the first night of hanging out with Monty’s friends, but she was building a rapport with them nonetheless. She had joined them at Raven’s the last two Saturdays in a row and she had started to hang out with the girls after work too, getting dinner or going out for drinks. She hung out with Monty and Jasper in the shop sometimes too.</p><p>She had only seen Bellamy once since the night he walked her home and she tried to ignore the fact that she was always hopeful he would show up to the group hangouts. </p><p>Her job was going well too, she had gotten good at selling artwork to customers and Chin had started giving her a commission each time she sold a more expensive piece. The shop had started to attract more customers and Chin was considering moving the store to the middle ring. </p><p>Clarke had been working on her art work too. Monty and Harper’s one year anniversary was coming up and Monty had commissioned a portrait of them as a present. She always enjoyed drawing but she especially enjoyed drawing her new friends. </p><p>It was late afternoon and Clarke was sitting behind the counter at her job, sketching out a new piece that she decided she was going to color in later. It was a beach scene, one that reminded her distinctly of home. No, that didn’t sound right in her mind anymore. The capital wasn’t home. </p><p>Either way, she had tried to make the landscape less Fire Nation and fill it with more Earth Kingdom plants to disguise it. She had seen Earth Kingdom beaches when she landed on the continent after the boat ride from the Fire Nation islands. They just didn’t compare to the ones she had grown up with. </p><p>Still, she felt herself growing more and more attached to the Earth Kingdom everyday. She loved the cuisine — although she very much missed spicy foods — she loved the people of course and she loved her little apartment most of all. She had taken to decorating it in the last week, Emori got her some good deals on things from the pawn shop and she even hung up some of her art work in the living room. Slowly, it really was becoming home. </p><p>Clarke had been so lonely while she traveled to Ba Sing Se. She had become distrustful after numerous run-ins with disgusting men, swindling travelers or cruel soldiers. She had closed herself off to the world, keeping her mind on a single goal: escape. With a single focus, she let everything else around her fade away, she grew numb to the loneliness, the physical pain and exhaustion.</p><p>It was hard to stay numb now. She felt herself opening up more everyday, smiling at her friends, laughing at jokes, having serious conversations about love and life with them too. Monty’s parents had even taken her in with open arms, insisting she come over for dinner every Wednesday night without fail. </p><p>Some days were harder than others. She would wake up from a nightmare, envisioning her father's death despite not being there to witness it. Or she would feel her inner flames tickling her, begging her to be stoked. She pushed away thoughts of her past and she pushed away her fire too. It was too dangerous to even contemplate practicing her bending. Once in a while she would warm her tea or light her stove when she was by herself, just to remind herself she was still a firebender even though every day she felt less and less like a Fire Nation citizen.<br/>
</p><p>Her musings and drawing were interrupted when the bell on the shop door jingled. Clarke glanced up and was shocked to see Bellamy standing in front of her, hands in his pockets but looking at her unflinchingly.</p><p>“Bellamy?” She said, her confused tone evident.</p><p>“Hi Clarke. Um, I remembered you told me you worked here and I was just passing by after a shift. I thought I’d come in and see it for myself,” he said. </p><p>“Oh, okay,” Clarke said, allowing herself a small smile, “Let me show you around.”</p><p>She stood up and led Bellamy around the store, pointing out her favorite pieces and the most expensive ones. He commented every once in a while when he particularly liked something. They made their way back over to the counter since the store wasn’t big and the tour didn’t take long.</p><p>“Is that yours?” He asked, clearly noticing her sketch on the table.</p><p>“Yes,” Clarke said, feeling a bit shy about him seeing her art work which was unlike her. “I want to color it in later.”</p><p>Bellamy reached out for the piece and slid it forward, examining the landscape. </p><p>“It’s beautiful,” he said, his voice low. He paused for a second before continuing, “I actually grew up near the beach. I used to hate sand as a kid, but I miss it now.” </p><p>Clarke was a little taken aback at his willingness to share personal information, Bellamy was one person who was even more secretive about their past than her. </p><p>“I miss the beach too,” she said quietly, “My father and I would always take trips to the ocean, he knew how much I loved to lay in the sun.” </p><p>Bellamy looked up from the drawing and flashed Clarke a half-smile, “I’ve never heard you talk about your father before.” </p><p>“Well you’re barely ever around me,” Clarke pointed out, although she instantly regretted her tone, it was meant to be teasing but she worried Bellamy would take it the wrong way.</p><p>Instead he just sighed, “I know. You sound like Monty and Raven. It’s just…” he paused, seemingly unsure of whether to continue.</p><p>Clarke didn’t say anything, she knew sometimes it was best to just be quiet when someone needed to get something off their chest, rather than encouraging them to do so.</p><p>“I told myself when I got to Ba Sing Se I wasn’t here to make friends. I was here to survive, to work, to save up my money and leave someday. The longer I’ve been here though the harder it’s been to keep that promise,” Bellamy said, he trailed off at the end like he was surprised he had just shared that.</p><p>“I know how you feel,” Clarke said softly, “I didn’t think I’d have friends again after leaving my home. I didn’t think I deserved friends. Maybe I still don’t. But I’m so happy I met you guys. You’ve given me a reason to keep going when life seems pointless.”</p><p>Bellamy surprised her even more when he reached out his hand and rested it on her arm, his eyes locking with hers.</p><p>“I had a really shitty day Clarke. Thank you for being here,” he said.</p><p>“Well I am technically on the clock,” Clarke joked, but then added more seriously, “I’m glad you came by. I do want us to be friends.” </p><p>He nodded, looking a little taken aback by her admission. </p><p>“I can do friends ... well my other friends might disagree,” he chuckled. </p><p>“Hey, we’re both working on it,” she added. </p><p>He smiled a bit and Clarke felt her heart flutter annoyingly. </p><p>“I’m about to get off work, do you want to get some food?” She asked, feeling a bit emboldened. </p><p>“That sounds great,” he said. </p><p>Clarke locked up the shop a little while later and the two of them headed down the street to her favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. It was a little derelict, like most buildings in the lower ring, but they served amazing ramen and decent wine. </p><p>They grabbed a table and Clarke ordered them both some ramen and a glass of wine. They chatted a bit while waiting for their food, the conversation coming surprisingly easily despite how awkward their first encounter had been. </p><p>“So why did you have a shitty day?” Clarke finally asked.</p><p>Bellamy huffed before launching into a rant, “The family I work for is insufferable. They’re exactly like every other noble family, outrageously wealthy, stuck up and judgemental. I’m just supposed to be a security guard and they treat me like a servant, ordering me around and asking me to do things outside of my job description. Not to mention they pay me like crap compared to how much they easily could. I wish I hadn’t taken this job in the first place, I knew they would be like this.”</p><p>Clarke felt her body clench a bit at his words. She wasn’t surprised that Bellamy felt this way and he wasn’t even wrong, most nobles were pompous and demanding. But she had still grown up around them, her friends were nobles and she herself was a noble. Or at least she used to be. She was definitely disinherited now. </p><p>Still, she wanted to comfort him, “That sucks. It must be really difficult working for people like that. They shouldn’t treat you like you’re less than. Can you get reassigned?”</p><p>“No,” he said glumly. “That’s the problem, I have to work for them until the end of my contract.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Clarke said sympathetically, even daring to reach her hand out and cover his with her own. Which she almost instantly realized was a mistake because then she knew just how large his hand felt compared to her own and just how strong it felt under her fingers. </p><p>She withdrew after giving his hand a quick squeeze, hoping it came off only as a friendly gesture. She knew she could not risk doing anything more than friendships while she was hiding her identity, it would just be too hard. </p><p>Bellamy didn’t seem to notice and just flashed her a quick smile before taking a sip of his wine. They had both already finished two glasses and she was flushed from the warmth that was filling her. </p><p>They had already been at the restaurant for an hour and their ramen was long finished, but they stayed talking for another hour. Bellamy told her a little about his childhood, when he was younger he wanted to be a soldier in the army before he realized how horrible war really was. In turn Clarke told him a little about hers, but only vague bits and pieces, stories about how her mother was a healer and how it made Clarke want to help people as much as she could. </p><p>It was pitch black outside when they finally left, Bellamy held open the door of the restaurant for her as they stepped into the brisk night air. They walked back to her apartment in a comfortable silence, he had even insisted on paying for their meal despite Clarke being the one to invite him to dinner. </p><p>When they reached Clarke’s apartment, he smiled and leaned in to give her a hug. She froze momentarily when he did so, but eventually raised her arms to hook them around his neck and return the gesture. He pulled back seconds later and she instantly found herself missing his touch. She had friends now, but physical contact was still infrequent for her. </p><p>“Thank you for listening to me,” he said sincerely, “I’m glad Monty invited you to hang out with us.”</p><p>She smiled up at him, meeting his dark eyes with her own light ones, “So am I. Goodnight Bellamy.”</p><p>“Goodnight Clarke,” he said, slowly taking his gaze off of her and walking off down the street. </p><p>Clarke headed up to her apartment, her insides swirling with emotions. She was still in a bit of shock that Bellamy had taken the initiative to come to her work place, that he had sought her out after a hard day and that he had willingly opened up to her about it. Maybe there was more to him than she initially thought, it wasn’t that he had bad social skills, he was just closed off after a difficult past, which she certainly understood.</p><p>She felt happy that he had come by her job, that much was for sure, but she recognized the warmth that pooled within her when they hugged that night and it was dangerous. She couldn’t risk getting too close to someone like Bellamy, she barely knew him and already she had wanted to spill her guts to him when he looked at her with those warm eyes and encouraging smile. </p><p>Clarke contemplated this more as she brushed her teeth and got ready for bed. She decided that she would be his friend, because honestly, she couldn’t deny herself that. But she would under no circumstances allow her attraction to him to go any farther than appreciative looks and friendly touches. </p><p>Satisfied with her conclusion, she curled up on her bed and closed her eyes, hoping that tonight she would only have pleasant dreams.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I couldn't resist a little bit of Bellarke fluff. I really want to build up their friendship first, but be forewarned, he isn't going to be happy when he finds out she is a fire bender so this story will have some angst and will have some slow burn vibes. But there is 100% a happy ending I promise. Also a warning that there will be some violence in the upcoming chapters, probably of equal levels shown in the 100 but definitely more graphic than Avatar ever is. Also I really wanted to explore how Clarke has been affected by her time on the run. She experienced isolation (much like she did in the show) and it's caused her to be distrustful even though her natural personality is more outgoing. Similarly, Bellamy has also experienced trauma which Clarke will learn about soon, and that has prevented him from truly making friends in Ba Sing Se despite being there for two years already. However, he is starting to let her in, which is a big deal for him. Yay!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ta-da! My first chapter written from Bellamy's POV. I really wanted to provide a bit of backstory to his character and felt that this was the best way to do it. Also, I want to be able to alternate between his and Clarke's POV in the future. I hope you all enjoy and sorry for the delay, I've been pre-writing a couple chapters this weekend.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bellamy woke up as he usually did, reaching out for his sister. It only took him a few seconds to recognize that Ocativa was not with him. She hadn’t been for 4 years. </p><p>Stretching, he climbed out of bed to get ready for his day. He had gone out for drinks with Clarke again the night before and he knew that she had entered his dreams in a confusing but not unpleasant way. He just couldn’t remember them now. </p><p>Bellamy rushed around his tiny apartment throwing stuff together to head to work. He really hated his job, but it paid the bills, and hopefully, his next contract would be more bearable. At the last minute, he remembered to grab his pass to get into the middle ring and then flew out the door so he wouldn’t be late. </p><p>On his way up to the middle ring, Bellamy scarfed down some fruit that he had bought from Monty’s shop the other day. Maybe he could grab a drink with Monty and Jasper after work, Bellamy felt like he had been a bad friend lately, well, for a long time. </p><p>Bellamy spent a lot more time with Murphy and Miller just because they worked for the same company. They were both stationed at other posts in the middle ring guarding various wealthy businesses or families. They often grabbed lunch together or went out after work to complain about their contracts. </p><p>Miller had been his first friend in Ba Sing Se when he got here at the age of 20. He had been on the run for three years and it was the first time he truly got to rest. But honestly, it still didn’t feel like home in the city. </p><p>Bellamy was used to a quieter life, he grew up with farm animals waking him up in the morning and spending his days doing hard labor to provide for his mother and sister. That had been his responsibility. Now his only responsibility was to himself. It was getting lonely. </p><p>Once he arrived at work, Bellamy allowed his mind to wander further. He spent most of the day standing outside of the house, scanning the street and stopping anyone who tried to come in that he didn’t recognize. He would accompany the family on outings but mainly he was in charge of protecting the family’s daughter who usually stayed inside reading. She had just graduated from the university with a degree in literature. </p><p>As usual, Bellamy began thinking about his sister. He missed Octavia every day, it was like a gaping hole had been left in his heart and he could never fill it, not with friendships nor alcohol. </p><p>When Fire Nation soldiers descended on his small coastal village, he didn’t expect them to burn it down with a vengeance. He thought they were there to steal food, take money or maybe occupy it. But they had only a singular goal in mind and it resulted in his childhood home being reduced to ashes. </p><p>He had been out of the house when the soldiers arrived, but he saw their ships in the distance. He was practicing fighting with his younger sister, they both desperately wanted to join the Earth Kingdom army. He had resisted training with his sister at first, wanting to keep her safe from the outside world, but Octavia could not be turned off from something she set her mind to. Plus he figured it would be useful for her to be able to defend herself. </p><p>They watched from a hill as the soldiers entered their village, banging on doors and dragging people out of their homes. Fear coursing through him, they ran back to their own house which was on the outskirts of the village. It was one of the older and more run-down homes so they hoped that the soldiers would leave it alone. </p><p>By the time they arrived, his mother had already packed two bags and thrust them at Bellamy as he burst through the backdoor. She told him to take his sister and hide, that she was packing her own bag and would be right behind them. Bellamy had refused to leave without his mother but she begged him to go. Finally, Octavia insistently pulled him out of the house and ran, so he followed her. </p><p>When they got to their favorite spot to watch the sunset, they turned back. Their home was on fire and so was the rest of the village. They stood there for hours, holding hands tightly and praying silently to the spirits for their mother to join them. She didn’t. </p><p>Bellamy and his sister traveled for a year, staying in the southern Earth Kingdom. They worked odd jobs together, camped in the woods, saw beautiful sights and generally hid from the Fire Nation at every turn. </p><p>Eventually, Octavia convinced Bellamy that they should head to a city, specifically Ba Sing Se. They were heading north when they ended up in the Foggy Swamp. The memory came back to him unbidden, and he could almost smell the marshy water despite knowing he was standing at his post in Ba Sing Se, leagues away from the vines of the swamp. </p><p>
  <em>“Come ON!” Octavia grunted with frustration as she tried to hack at the vines in front of her. Her cheap sword made little headway against the mass of undergrowth. After another swing, she sighed and plopped down onto a root. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can’t believe we are stuck in the swamp Bell,” she huffed. “All because you got ‘called’ to it.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“O, I can’t explain it,” Bellamy said, as exasperated as she was. He sat down across from her. “All I know is that no matter how much we traveled in the other direction, we kept ending up right back here.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well it would’ve been great if the mysterious swamp spirits gave you a map or maybe a reason for why we needed to come here,” she said petulantly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Listen, let’s just make camp here for the night, it’s almost dark. In the morning maybe a path will be revealed to us,” Bellamy said in what he hoped was a soothing tone. He loved his sister, but she was stubborn and quick to anger sometimes. She probably got it from him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Doubt it,” she muttered under her breath, but she started to unpack their sleeping rolls and munch on some dried meat. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bellamy laid down next to Octavia’s sleeping bag and shifted around on the hard roots, trying to get comfortable. Above him, the starry night sky peeked through the canopy of massive trees. The air was filled with noise but he could pick out the distinct croak of a frog squirrel nearby. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sometime later, his eyes shot open. He had no idea what hour of the night it was, but the air was unsettlingly still. He rolled over, checking to make sure Octavia was still asleep, but she too was awake, her eyes wide. They both sat up in their sleeping rolls and scanned the swamp around them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I felt something,” Octavia murmured, her voice quiet. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Me too,” Bellamy whispered back, although he wasn’t sure why they were whispering. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly, Octavia went rigid, “Do you hear that?” She asked urgently. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bellamy cocked his head, “No, I hear … nothing at all.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Someone is speaking, but it’s so faint,” she responded, not looking at him anymore. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Octavia was already scrambling out of her sleeping bag before Bellamy had time to react. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can hear her!” She shouted, taking off into the darkness and vines ahead of them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bellamy leapt to his feet but when he ran after her, the vines seemed to solidify into a wall. As much as he pushed forward, the vines seemed to hold him back. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“O! O! OCTAVIA!” He shouted into the night. “Come back!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly, light flooded his vision. He whirled around, hoping it was Octavia. But he could barely see in front of him through the golden light. Squinting, he walked forward, taking small steps.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hello?” He asked, trying not to let his voice shake. The world was still silent around him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The light started to recede, forming into a small, flickering ball. Bellamy furrowed his brows as it zipped around in front of him and then flew off around a tree. Bellamy whipped his head around, hoping Octavia had returned from behind him, but she hadn’t. Gritting his teeth, he ran after the ball of light, hoping it would lead him to his sister. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bellamy sped around a tree and then another, following the faint light ahead of him. In his rush, he didn’t even notice the bog in front of him and he fell face-first into the shallow water. Grimacing, he sat up, rubbing muck out of his eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>When he could finally see again, he could barely believe what was in front of him. A beautiful girl stood perched on a root ahead of him. She was dressed in the most elegant robe he had ever seen, it was entirely gold with red embroidered along the edges. She looked like a princess. He held up a hand to shade his eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl’s face was obscured by light, it seemed to radiate out from her, creating a halo around her head. Her hair was shimmering with golden light and hung down to her chest, but half of it was pulled back behind her head. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Who are you?” He said, a bit awestruck, forgetting for a second that his sister was nowhere to be found.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl gave no response, but lifted her arms up, the sleeves of her robe falling back to reveal her pale, porcelain skin. She used one hand to brush her hair behind her left ear. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bellamy stood up now and walked closer to her. The closer he got the more he realized that her skin was translucent. She wasn’t really there. Was he hallucinating? Was she a spirit? Why did she appear to him?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Bellamy,” she said softly, causing him to start with shock.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She said his name like she was his oldest friend but also as a question, as if she was searching for him in the dark. He edged even closer, within an arm's length now, straining his eyes to get a glimpse of her face. He reached out to touch her hand. He thought he saw her pink lips quirk up into a smile and maybe her eyes were also the color of gold but before he could reach her, the light swallowed her up and she was gone. </em>
</p><p>And so was Octavia. He searched for a year, in the swamp, in the nearby villages, in Gaoling, until finally deciding to go to Ba Sing Se, hoping she would meet him there. But he hadn’t seen her since that night. </p><p>“Come on Bellamy,” a loud voice broke into his trance. “I want to go to the market.” </p><p>A woman stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest, looking at him expectantly.</p><p>Bellamy blinked rapidly, remembering he was at work, “Of course, I’m happy to accompany you.”</p><p>“I know,” she laughed a bit. “You’re paid to.”</p><p>Shaking himself off, Bellamy followed his employer’s daughter down the street, scanning for danger as always. Something about that memory didn’t sit right with him anymore, not that the memory of losing his sister ever did, but there was something off he couldn’t quite place. Well he had hallucinated a spirit, he reasoned, so of course it didn’t make sense. </p><p>He didn’t have time to ponder it further because the young woman was tugging on his arm to get him to walk faster, chattering on about wanting to buy a new book on agricultural practices. He sighed and concentrated on the task at hand. </p><p>“Gina slow down,” he muttered as she pulled. “I can’t watch out for you when you’re charging ahead like an elephant mandrill.” </p><p>She relented and slowed down, winding her way to her favorite book store. Privately, he loved this shop too and always enjoyed accompanying her there. Book stores in the lower ring were basically non-existent. Gina wasn’t rude to him like her parents were, in fact sometimes she told them off when they treated him like a servant. She was still bossy with him, but usually in a teasing, friendly sort of way. And she always insisted on buying him a book when they went to the shop. </p><p>As his day went on, his uneasiness faded away. He focused on escorting Gina around the market, holding her items and listening to her prattle on about the book she had just finished. He wasn’t even in a bad mood when he finished work, especially since he had the weekend off. </p><p>Clarke had invited everyone over to her place on Saturday night. Clarke. Thinking about her made him pause for a minute, some memory tickling the back of his mind. Did he need to tell her something? What was he forgetting? He couldn’t quite grasp it and shook it off as he headed to his favorite bar in the lower ring to grab a drink with his friends.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Does anyone have any ideas about what happened to Octavia in the Foggy Swamp? Also, yes I introduced Gina as a character in this story, just to add a touch more of angst to the plot. Honestly, not sure where I'm going with her character yet but we'll find out together. I really appreciate all the kudos! Also, if you ever catch a grammatical error or consistency issue please let me know. I have the story plotted out and know where it's going but I write each chapter pretty quickly and don't have every scene planned out so I'm worried I might miss something.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a longer chapter than usual and the darkest so far. Please check the notes at the end for a content warning, I don't want to spoil the plot by putting it here but if you're worried please check there before you proceed.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clarke was having a really good week before it all went wrong. She had finished Monty and Harper’s portrait and they gushed over it for days. She poured herself into her artwork, creating some of the best pieces she ever had, at least in her opinion. And Bellamy had come by her shop again, asking her to get dinner with him and then they had gotten drinks together a few days after. </p><p>Clarke hadn’t had a nightmare in days. Her apartment had finally come together and she decided to invite all of her friends to her place on Saturday instead of Raven’s, excited to show it off. And to top it all off, Chin had agreed to review her artwork at the end of the week and see if any of it was good enough to be sold at his store. </p><p>She spent hours every day that week putting the finishing touches on her pieces. Rationally, she knew that there was a chance he would still not agree to sell her artwork. She was only 18, she wasn’t a professional. But yet, she felt incredibly hopeful as she walked down the street to the store, clutching her rolled up drawings against her chest.</p><p>It was Friday, which meant she didn’t have work, so it was the perfect day to present her final pieces to Chin at the shop. She felt almost giddy with excitement and simultaneously nauseous with anxiety. She had never really cared about anyone’s opinion of her art before, especially not back in the Fire Nation. She never really trusted what people told her anyways, being the daughter of a Griffin meant people spoke tactfully around her, never sure how much power she held over them. </p><p>She had shown Bellamy her pieces yesterday and he had given her a rare full on grin, telling her they were beautiful and that he would buy one if he could afford her prices. After that, she insisted that he let her draw him something to hang in his apartment and he gave in without too much of a fuss. </p><p>She was halfway to her destination when she stopped dead in her tracks. It can’t be, she thought, shaking her head. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. And yet, she was almost certain she had just heard the word Griffin being uttered by a group of refugees waiting in line at the market. </p><p>She clenched her teeth and took one step forward, determined to ignore it and head to Chin’s shop, but she didn’t make it far before whirling around and going to stand in line behind the refugees. Once she did, she easily overheard the conversation the four men were having, despite their relatively hushed tones.</p><p>“I never thought I’d see the day,” one of them said. “And for King Bumi to just surrender…” he trailed off shaking his head. </p><p>“At least the Avatar and his friends were there to help us escape. I thought we were going to die fighting in the resistance,” another said. </p><p>“Yeah but look where we are now, war-torn refugees in a strange city. I miss Omashu,” the third man said quietly. </p><p>The fourth put his arm around the man and shook his head, “At least we are safe and alive Po. That Griffin woman would have hunted down the resistance until we were all dead. And that girl Mai, the new governor's daughter? Friends with the Fire Nation princess?” he shuddered before continuing, “I’m glad we got out when we did.” </p><p>Clarke’s head spun as she shuffled to keep up with the group as the line moved forward. Her mother was in the Earth Kingdom? In Omashu? And the Fire Nation had control of it? </p><p>“Ba Sing Se really is the last great stronghold left,” one of them said. “We're safe here.”</p><p>They stopped talking as they entered the market and Clarke stepped off to the side of the store to let the people behind her inside. She felt sick. </p><p>She always assumed that her mother would stay in the Fire Nation, probably shunned from upper society as the widow of a traitor and mother of a traitor. But instead, she was ordering soldiers to hunt down Earth Kingdom civilians who fought back against Fire Nation rule. And Mai? They’d never really been close, but they’d grown up together. And now Mai's father was governing a conquered Earth Kingdom city and Mai was apparently spending her time terrorizing people with Azula again. </p><p>Still clutching her drawings, she started walking down the street again. She hadn’t heard much news from outside of Ba Sing Se in weeks, not since word got around that the Avatar was in the Earth Kingdom, but nobody ever really knew exactly where he was. </p><p>Should she just go back to her apartment? She didn’t know if she was in the mood to have her artwork judged at the moment. No, she decided, this is my life now. I am from the Earth Kingdom, I’m sad about Omashu and happy the Avatar was there to help, but none of the other information concerns me. I don’t know Mai, I don’t know Abby Griffin, I don’t know anything at all about the Fire Nation.</p><p>Clarke suddenly realized she had reached Chin’s shop and paused outside of the store, taking a deep breath. </p><p>She was ready. She was confident in her skills. Art was her future now. These pieces were good enough. And if they weren’t, she had plenty of time to try again. Letting out a breath, she opened the shop door and stepped inside.</p><p>“Clarke,” Chin greeted, in his usual succinct matter.</p><p>“Hi Chin,” Clarke said, doing her best to keep her voice steady. “I have some pieces to show you.”</p><p>He looked her in the eye and nodded, indicating with his hands that she could set them on the counter. </p><p>Clarke closed her eyes for a brief moment as she fought to keep her nerves under control, then she passed over the four rolls of canvas. </p><p>Chin sat back on the chair, unfurling each piece slowly and taking a second to scan each page. He said nothing after examining each piece, which only fueled Clarke’s anxiety. </p><p>Finally, he spoke after rolling up the last drawing, “Clarke.” It was a tone she hadn’t heard from him before, almost… gentle?</p><p>She tried to suck in a breath, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her.</p><p>“You are very talented for your age,” he continued. “But these pieces are not yet ready to be displayed in my shop.”</p><p>The whole world paused for Clarke. She suddenly felt very, very small, like the ground beneath her was threatening to swallow her up. </p><p>She was dimly aware that Chin had continued speaking, “I can give you further notes on these pieces, to help you improve.”</p><p>She could feel herself nodding but mostly she felt her nails digging into her palms, clenching her fists to keep the tears at bay. She wasn’t good enough for her mother and she wasn’t good enough to be on her own either. </p><p>Chin’s mouth was moving in front of her, no doubt giving her helpful feedback on her artwork, but she couldn’t hear him. All she heard was the thump of her own heartbeat, the blood rushing to her ears and the fire that crackled inside of her. </p><p>“And I would be willing to examine your artwork again, after a few months of course,” he said, looking at her expectantly. </p><p>The sound rushed back into the room and Clarke let out a breath that she distantly realized she had been holding since he first started speaking. </p><p>“Thank you, Chin,” she said, not sure where she even found the words.</p><p>“Have a good rest of your evening Clarke, I’ll see you next week,” he said, and even gave her a small smile.</p><p>She hurriedly grabbed her artwork, stuffing it into her arms and stepping outside. The world outside seemed loud, far too loud and somewhere in the back of her head she knew she should just go home. But she didn’t. </p><p>Instead she turned to her right and plodded down the street, crumpling her artwork from clutching it so tightly as she walked. She felt an ache inside of her but couldn’t even begin to process her own thoughts at that moment. She kept walking until she reached a familiar door. </p><p>Bellamy’s door. </p><p>She knocked twice. Then once more. She peered in through the window. Empty. </p><p>Clarke felt nothing. It was a familiar feeling for her. She welcomed it like an old friend at that moment. And when a gust of wind blew down the street, she opened her arms to embrace it, letting it carry away the drawings that she poured her heart into. </p><p>She didn’t know how long she stood there, but eventually, her feet started moving again, following a familiar route down the road. She knew, somewhere in her mind, again, that she should go home. But she didn’t. </p><p>Clarke entered the bar silently, beelining for the bartender. It wasn’t the nicest place in town, but it was cheap, and always open. She ordered three shots and took them each in immediate succession. She barely even tasted them. </p><p>She ordered a glass of wine and sat down at a table in the corner, usually her favorite spot because she could look out the window and watch people pass by with Raven, Harper and Emori. But today, she just sipped her wine and tried not to think. She didn’t even want to cry, which is how she knew in the back of her mind that this was bad. </p><p>It shouldn’t have affected her this much, she knew that. Chin was respectful, even kind, when he let her down. But she had craved his approval. She always craved approval. Her mother rarely gave it to her. Her father did easily, but he was also rarely there to give it, and now he never would be. </p><p>She was rattled by the news of Omashu as much as she wanted to let it wash over her like it would for any other refugee. She wasn’t like any other refugee though. She was still Clarke Griffin. </p><p>She was doing so good and then in an instant, she was not. She felt like she was back in the rural Earth Kingdom, walking her way to Ba Sing Se. Alone. Unwanted. Broken. It wasn’t just Chin’s rejection, which really, she knew, was nothing to cry over. It was suddenly every rejection she had ever faced, all rushing into her mind at once. Every moment from her past that she had been stuffing down over the last couple of months in Ba Sing Se flew into her head. </p><p>Did her mother even try to find her when she ran away? Did she know where she was? What would happen if Ba Sing Se fell too? Would she ever be safe?</p><p>The only way to cope with those thoughts was to be numb. And so she finished her glass of wine. And then another. And then another. She was dimly aware of it becoming night outside the window. Of people coming and going in the bar. </p><p>She didn’t know how long she had been sitting there before she was brought back to reality when a body slid onto the chair across from her. </p><p>“Hey there beautiful, what are you doing by yourself in a place like this?”</p><p>Another man stood behind him, “If you were my girl, I’d know better than to let you out alone, looking like that.” </p><p>They nodded, agreeing with each other. </p><p>Clarke furrowed her brow, staring at the two men in front of her. She was wasted. But she was, at least, present now. </p><p>“I’m not interested,” she said shortly, knowing exactly what these men were looking for. </p><p>“Oh come on now,” the shorter, plumper man said, “You’re too pretty to be alone. You should let us keep you company, watch over you.”</p><p>“No,” Clarke said, keeping her voice quiet to prevent herself from slurring her words. “No thanks.”</p><p>“We insist,” the taller man said.</p><p>“We really do,” the other one chimed in. </p><p>“I said NO!” Clarke was standing in an instant, her hands gripping the table in front of her, the fire inside of her threatening to burst through her fingertips and burn the whole place to the ground. </p><p>The two men scrambled backward quickly, almost tripping over each other. Maybe they saw the flames dance in her eyes, maybe they thought she was more trouble than she was worth, she didn’t care. They left her alone. </p><p>She ordered two more shots. The bartender hesitated before giving them to her. But she forked over even more money and he brought them to her anyway. </p><p>A small voice inside her head was whispering that she needed to go home. Agni, it had been whispering that since she left Chin’s store. Finally, she decided to indulge it. She was more than drunk enough to numb the ache inside her by that point. </p><p>She stumbled as she stood up, but straightened herself and made it out of the bar. Moving on muscle memory, she headed back to her apartment, ready to curl up in her bed and leave this terrible day behind her. She should’ve gone to Raven’s. Or to Monty’s. She really should’ve done anything besides head to that bar by herself, but she didn’t, because part of her believed she was meant to be alone. </p><p>Clarke really wasn’t one to use alcohol as an escape. She usually did that well enough in her own mind, compartmentalizing or using other people to distract herself from her own problems. But she really did like the vodka in Ba Sing Se. Or at least that’s what she told herself as she fumbled down the street. </p><p>It was years and years of training that alerted her senses to the footsteps following behind her. She was far too drunk to concentrate on the noise, but her instincts seemed to be working separately from herself. She breathed in deep and whirled around, her fists clenched in a fighting stance, despite her very limited knowledge of hand to hand combat. She was never one to run from a battle. </p><p>The two men were on her before she could even try to throw a punch. The tall one threw one hand over her mouth and the other around her right arm. The shorter one grabbed her around the middle and together they shoved her to the side of the empty, dimly lit road. </p><p>If she had been sober, she might’ve been able to throw them off before they managed to get her into the alley. If she had been sober, she would’ve heard them coming long before they got right behind her. </p><p>But even drunk Clarke could put up a fight. She bit down on the man’s hand, hard. She wrenched herself away from the short one’s grasp and screamed as loud as she could into the still night air. </p><p>That earned her a rough punch directly to her right eye from the short one and she stumbled backward, tripping over a box at her feet. </p><p>The tall one was on her after that, the blood from his hand dripping onto her face. She smelled it and his sweat. </p><p>The short one grabbed her left arm and roughly tugged her further down the dark alleyway, past trash cans and a pair of fighting cats. She kicked and she struggled and she screamed, but the tall one had shoved a bandana into her mouth. </p><p>Somewhere inside of her, her fire screamed out. <em>Use me. Use me now.</em> </p><p>But still, she resisted it. </p><p>She managed to get a kick into the short one’s groin as they pressed her against the brick wall. </p><p>“You bitch,” he snarled, and he hit her in the stomach.</p><p>She felt something inside of her crack. It may have been a bone or maybe it was her control. </p><p>They forced her onto the ground, one of them pinned her wrists and the other loomed over her, hunger and anger in his eyes all at once. He reached down to her shirt and ripped the buttons right off it. The night air felt like ice against her bare skin. The tall one hit her again and then the short one bent to remove her undergarments. </p><p>All she could feel at that point was the fire in her veins. She didn’t even feel fear but she wasn’t numb any longer, because rage coursed through her body, demanding to be set free. Her skin heated up in an instant. She finally allowed the fire inside of her to release and it danced along her entire body. The bandana in her mouth turned to ashes that she spit out and they swirled into the air.</p><p>The men fell backward immediately, their hands burned from merely touching her skin. They screamed. Something inside her was screaming too. </p><p>They stood above her now, fury pouring out of their mouths and she brought her hands in front of her. A flame leaping into each palm for the first time in almost a year. She was going to kill them. She knew it before it happened. </p><p>And yet it wasn’t fire that consumed them at that moment. In fact, the ground shook so roughly that she nearly lost the flames inside her hands. And then a rush of air and a rush of stone and the two men blurred out of her eyesight. She turned, shock turning into relief as she saw their limp bodies thrown across the ground. They were dead. </p><p>The fire was already gone from her hands when she finally looked back. And standing above her, worry and anger and realization in his eyes, was Bellamy Blake.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Content Warning: Attempted sexual assault, graphic violence, extreme drinking.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>So yeah.. this chapter is a lot. First off I want to address a few things, Clarke is recovering from a lot of trauma in this story. She is a very strong person, but she is also experiencing mental health issues. She turned to alcohol because she needed to numb herself to her feelings about her family/past and the rejection of her artwork which to her symbolizes her independence and way forward without the Fire Nation.<br/>Side note, Mai is 17 for the purposes of this story, in fact all of the Avatar characters are aged up two years to make this plot work and also because I don't want them to be kids for this. This means Zuko and Sokka are 18, Katara and Azula and Ty Lee are 16, Aang and Toph are 14. Also just because, here are the ages of the 100 characters introduced so far: Clarke/Monty/Jasper: 18. Emori: 19. Harper/Murphy: 20. Raven/Jackson: 21. Bellamy/Miller: 22.<br/>Also thank you again for all the kudos and comments, it definitely motivates me to keep going even after writing a particularly heartbreaking chapter like this one.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the delay! Chapters are probably going to come biweekly or weekly now as the story has progressed forward. Thank you for all the kudos and I appreciate feedback always!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The man standing over Clarke was silent. He stared down at her, his mouth slightly open, his eyes wide.</p><p>Clarke met his gaze, raising her chin slightly, her lips pressed together firmly. Bellamy still said nothing. </p><p>Clarke became very aware that she was drunk, bloody and partially naked, propped up against a wall in a dark alley. </p><p>“You’re an earthbender,” she said finally, desperate to break the silence. Blood dripped from her mouth when she opened it. </p><p>Bellamy started as if he had forgotten she could speak. </p><p>“You-you’re… and you’re a firebender,” he said, his tone growing cold after his stutter. </p><p>Bellamy might have hidden that he was an earthbender, but it wasn’t exactly unusual in the Earth Kingdom, and it wasn’t a death sentence like her own bending was. </p><p>Clarke flinched at his tone, which caused her to let out a yelp of pain as her body shifted. </p><p>Bellamy was at her side in an instant, kneeling next to her. </p><p>“You’re hurt,” he said, his tone almost accusatory, but gentler. </p><p>Clarke only managed a nod.</p><p>Without a word, Bellamy pulled off his outer robe and draped it over her chest, her own shirt lay torn and bloody next to her. </p><p>“Thank you,” Clarke whispered. “Not that I really get cold.” She realized instantly that now probably wasn’t the time to remind him she was a firebender. </p><p>Bellamy just furrowed his eyebrows and scanned her body, “Can you walk?”</p><p>Clarke took a breath and tried to push herself upwards, using the wall as a support. She moved barely an inch before she involuntarily gasped with pain and felt a rush of dizziness threaten to overtake her. Her eyes were wide as she shook her head, feeling utterly helpless in that moment. Was he going to leave her there? Get the Dai Li? </p><p>He clenched his jaw before reaching his arms under her and scooping her up in one swift motion. </p><p>Clarke froze as his skin came into contact with her own and she kept her eyes focused on her hands in her lap as he cradled her to his chest. He started walking down the alleyway and turned right when he got to the street. </p><p>“Where are you taking me?” Clarke asked softly, half-scared of the answer, but daring to look up at his face. “How did you even find me?”</p><p>“You do know you were in the alleyway behind my house don’t you?” He said, looking down at her. “I heard you scream as I was coming home.” </p><p>Clarke blinked, “I was drunk, I am drunk I guess. I wasn’t exactly aware of my surroundings.” </p><p>Bellamy just nodded and turned to enter his front door. He paused for a moment and looked down at the ground, seeming confused. </p><p>Clarke tried to twist her head to see what he was looking at but it caused another rush of pain to shoot through her. </p><p>“Is that one of your drawings on the ground?” He asked, as he fumbled in the dark to open his door while still holding Clarke in his arms. </p><p>“Oh,” Clarke whispered. “I forgot I came here first.”</p><p>Bellamy managed to open the door at that moment and stepped inside, making his way over to his bed. His apartment was basically one large room, it had a bed, a bathroom, a small kitchen and a couch. </p><p>He leaned down and gently set her on his bed, making sure her head was supported by pillows. He crouched down next to her, looking at her carefully before turning to find something to light the room. </p><p>Clarke noticed what he was doing and lifted her hand slightly. All four candles in the room sprang to life and Bellamy almost fell backwards in surprise as they lit up the room. He recovered quickly and turned back to face her, resting on his knees. </p><p>“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I shouldn’t have.”</p><p>But Clarke felt a rush of warmth in her body, her inner fire pleased it had been used twice in one day after ages of neglect. </p><p>“You came here.. first?” He asked, ignoring that she had just fire bended. </p><p>Clarke tried to lift her head from the pillow, realizing she was definitely getting his sheets bloody. </p><p>“Chin rejected my art work,” she explained slowly. “And I heard some other things I didn’t want to hear. It wasn’t my best day.”</p><p>Bellamy nodded and sucked in a breath, “I need to clean and bandage your injuries.”</p><p>Clarke tried to give him a small smile, “Thank you, Bellamy.”</p><p>He narrowed his eyes a bit, regarding her carefully, “You’re not here to spy on the Earth King, or infiltrate Ba Sing Se?”</p><p>Clarke’s eyes widened and she attempted to shake her head rapidly, which was a mistake.</p><p>“Ow. No! Of course not,” She said sincerely. "I'm not in the army. Or even part of the Fire Nation anymore." </p><p>“And you’ll tell me everything after?”</p><p>“Y-Yes,” Clarke said, although she wasn’t sure if she was being honest. “You won’t turn me over to the Dai Li?”</p><p>He closed his eyes for a moment, “You’re my friend Clarke. I don’t want to see you in jail as much as I hate the Fire Nation. I will give you a chance to explain yourself, explain why you’ve been lying to us and why you are in Ba Sing Se. But if you lie again, I will do whatever it takes to protect my country.” </p><p>“Okay. That’s fair. Thank you,” Clarke said slowly, realizing her words still wanted to jumble together despite how much she thought she had sobered up. </p><p>Bellamy sighed a little and then stood up, rummaging around in his bathroom before returning. He slowly peeled his robe off of her upper body to examine her injuries. </p><p>“I’m sorry they did this to you,” he said quietly. </p><p>Clarke was silent as he took a wet cloth and cleaned her cuts. He carefully applied a poultice to them and bandaged them gently. She savored the feeling of his calloused hands pressing to her warm skin. She missed being touched. </p><p>“I think a rib is broken, or at least fractured,” he said after examining them.  </p><p>“Definitely,” Clarke agreed. “That’s what hurts the most. Although my eye is pretty bad.” </p><p>He nodded and reached his hand out, gingerly cupping her cheek to turn her black eye towards him. He sucked air through his teeth, “That’s gonna be nasty in the morning. You should go to a real healer tomorrow.” </p><p>“Maybe,” Clarke said. </p><p>He gave her a stern look, dropping his hand from her face, “You <em>will</em> go to a healer tomorrow, even if I have to drag you there myself.” </p><p>Clarke sighed, she knew Bellamy was even more stubborn than she was. </p><p>Bellamy grabbed one of his shirts out of a drawer and carefully helped Clarke pull it over her head before he sat at the foot of the bed. </p><p>“So... tell me everything,” he said. “Unless you’re in a lot of pain and then we can just talk tomorrow.” </p><p>“Can I make you a deal?” Clarke asked softly.</p><p>“You’re not exactly in a bargaining position,” Bellamy replied dryly. </p><p>“Ok fair point and thank you for… saving me,” she said. </p><p>“You don’t need to thank me. But you do need to explain,” he said. </p><p>“Fine. But! I want to hear your story too, why you’re hiding that you’re an earthbender,” she said. </p><p>“Fine,” he huffed. “You first.” </p><p>Clarke slowly propped herself up against the pillow so she could meet his eyes. </p><p>“Well… yes, I am a firebender. And yes, I’m from the Fire Nation. The capital actually. But I left for a reason. Everything I’ve told you so far is true. My father is dead, he was murdered by the Fire Nation and labeled a traitor to the crown. I would have been too because I knew what he knew,” she said. </p><p>“So you’re from the capital of the Fire Nation and yet you’re living in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se? You should be living like a princess,” he muttered. </p><p>“Not everyone from the capital lives lavishly Bellamy. And the only princess there is Azula. Please don’t compare me to her. But you’re right, I was part of a noble family. I’m not anymore,” she said.</p><p>“Whatever you say, Princess,” he responded. </p><p>Clarke narrowed her eyes at him, “Not funny. Anyways. I fled a few days after my father was killed. I left behind my friends, my girlfriend and my mother. I thought I was prepared for the journey to Ba Sing Se, but I got mugged more than once by men worse than the ones tonight. By the time I got here, I had nothing. I had been alone for months, surviving on scraps and begging.”</p><p>“I know how that is,” Bellamy said. </p><p>Clarke swallowed, “I thought my father was a good man and maybe he was. But he didn’t speak up until it was too late, and he died for it. I didn’t speak up at all, I just ran. I never agreed with everything the Fire Nation told us, but it was all I knew. No one in the capital knows the truth of life outside their country. Everything I had been told melted away as soon as I saw the suffering that the Earth Kingdom experienced because of the Fire Nation.” </p><p>She paused to take a deep breath before continuing. </p><p>“I regret not being strong enough to challenge the status quo, at least my father tried. I can’t change that, but I have no love for the royal family and no respect for what my nation is doing. If I could stop them, I would. I hate being Fire Nation. Sometimes, I hate being a firebender too. I used to love my bending and now I’m terrified of it. I’m terrified that I’m going to lose control or give into anger and use my fire the way the Fire Nation army has,” she said, speaking as quickly as she could to prevent herself from stopping. </p><p>“I wish that I had been born here. I wish that I grew up with Raven or Harper and that my life was simpler than it is. I hate hiding things from all of you. I’ve been trying desperately to convince everyone and myself of a past that didn’t happen, because I don’t want to be Fire Nation anymore. I just want to live. I want to be free. I want… I want to be happy,” Clarke said. </p><p>Bellamy regarded her silently, seeming to be processing everything she had shared. </p><p>“The Fire Nation took everything from me,” he said after a minute. </p><p>“I know. I’m so sorry Bellamy. I’m so fucking sorry,” Clarke said before he held up his hand to stop her from continuing. She wanted to cry. </p><p>“I’ve never seen anything but pain come from firebending and I’ve never done anything but hate Fire Nation citizens,” he continued. “And you’re right. You should’ve done more, especially if you had some position of power. But you left, and you clearly hate what the Fire Nation is doing to the world now that you know the truth. But how did you never see it before?” </p><p>“Even though my dad was high ranking, I still never left the country,” she explained. “We vacationed on the islands or in the countryside, but I never saw war. I know now that even my own citizens suffer, but that was hidden from us too. Children are taught that the Fire Nation is pure and above all others. We’re taught that we are saving the rest of the world by conquering them and teaching them our ways.”</p><p>“That’s despicable!” Bellamy said, anger in his voice. “And who is your father anyways? Who are you, Princess?”</p><p>“I’m Clarke! I didn’t lie about that. I didn’t lie about anything!” Clarke said, feeling herself get louder too. </p><p>“And your father?” He demanded. </p><p>Clarke sighed, “You’re never going to look at me the same. You probably hate me already.”</p><p>“I don’t hate you, Clarke,” Bellamy said, scooting a little closer to her. “I know you’re not a bad person, even if your country is.” </p><p>Clarke looked into Bellamy’s eyes for a moment, “Griffin. My name, it’s Clarke Griffin.” </p><p>Bellamy's face morphed into shock and he instantly shifted backwards from her. </p><p>“Your father is Lord Griffin, advisor to Fire Lord Ozai?!” He shouted. “Right-hand man to the Dragon of the West? Colonel in the Siege of Ba Sing Se?” </p><p>Clarke shrank backwards at his voice, feeling tears threaten to spill down her cheeks. She should’ve lied, she should’ve refused to answer. </p><p>“He <em>was</em>. Fire Lord Ozai MURDERED him,” she shouted back. </p><p>Bellamy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “I need a minute.” He stood up abruptly and walked out of the apartment. </p><p>“Idiot!” Clarke berated herself angrily, the candlelight around her leaping up in response. </p><p>She just lost one of her best friends because she tried to tell the truth. Clarke hated lying, but she hated being alone even more. She shut her eyes and tried to stop thinking all the terrible thoughts that flooded into her brain. She thought the day her father died would be the worst day of her life, but this was a close second. </p><p>Bellamy stepped back into the apartment after a few minutes, which felt like hours to Clarke. He sat down slowly at the end of his bed, looking directly at Clarke. </p><p>Clarke kept her gaze lowered, “I’m so sorry Bellamy. I’ll leave now. I don’t deserve your friendship, or anyone else’s.” </p><p>“You’re not leaving,” he said, his voice low. “You’re not your father. And from what you’ve said, he did try to do better. I won’t judge you for his past sins.”</p><p>Clarke looked up and met his gaze, her eyes wide, “You should hate me Bellamy. I played games with Prince Zuko as a child. Fire Lord Ozai attended my 16th birthday party. I represent everything that you hate.” </p><p>“No you don’t,” he said shortly. “You can't change your past. I know who you are now. But if you need forgiveness, I'll give that to you. You're forgiven.” </p><p>Clarke wanted to cry, but couldn’t find the tears, “You’re the best person I know, Bell. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.” </p><p>Bellamy sighed deeply, “I’m no saint either, Clarke. I’ve done things I’m not proud of. I’ve got enough guilt to last a lifetime.”</p><p>“Are you going to tell me your story then?” She asked, she was genuinely interested in the story as much as she also wanted the attention off of her. </p><p>“I’ll give you a shorter version,” he said. “I was born in the southern Earth Kingdom, in a village by the sea. I had a sister, Octavia. She was my responsibility. We had different fathers, but I loved her more than anything. Our mother was killed when the Fire Nation soldiers came to our village. They were looking for earthbenders. I think she sacrificed herself so that I could escape.”</p><p>“I was the only earthbender left in my village. I was 17. All the others had gone to fight or fled to hide from the Fire Nation. They must’ve found out I was there. It’s my fault my mother died and my village burned,” he said, speaking quietly. “Octavia and I traveled for a while, but she wanted to settle down somewhere, in Ba Sing Se specifically. We were heading North when we got separated in the foggy swamp.”</p><p>“I spent a <em>year</em> looking for her, but I found no trace of her at all. Finally, I traveled to Ba Sing Se alone. I had nothing and it took me a year to get here, I did terrible things just to survive. I thought I could get my humanity back once I got to the city,” he said. “I thought that Octavia might be here waiting for me. But I haven’t seen her in four years now. It was all because of my bending. And even in Ba Sing Se, if the wrong people found out I was an earthbender, I could be in danger. The Dai Li would try to recruit me or I might mysteriously go missing. It’s safer to pretend I’m a non-bender.” </p><p>Clarke frowned, feeling his words tug on her heart, “That’s so much to bear on your own Bellamy. But what happened wasn’t your fault. It was the Fire Nation’s fault. You have to hold out hope that your sister is out there, safe. I think you’ll see her again someday.”</p><p>“Do you miss your family?” He asked quietly, clearly not wanting to share more.</p><p>“My mom and I didn’t have the best relationship,” Clarke said slowly. “She wanted me to do my duty as a good noblewoman. I was always a little rebellious and favored my father more. I miss Lexa, but she probably hates me now, I broke up with her in a letter. It was safer for her that she didn’t know why I was leaving. My best friend Wells, he’s the reason why I had to flee. He betrayed my trust and told the Fire Lord that I intended to follow in my father’s footsteps.” </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Bellamy said. “We’ve both suffered at the hands of the Fire Nation.” </p><p>Clarke nodded, not trusting herself to speak further.</p><p>They stayed silent for a minute, just looking at each other, sadness in their eyes, before Bellamy spoke, “You should get some sleep Clarke. I’ll see you in the morning.”</p><p>“I’m sorry for putting you out like this,” she said. </p><p>“It’s okay, my couch is comfy,” he said. He paused for a second before continuing in a soft tone, “I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner, Princess.” </p><p>“Stop calling me that,” Clarke muttered half-heartedly. “You don’t have to apologize. I could’ve handled them the minute they touched me, but I was so determined not to bend. They would be dead now either way. But... I’ve never killed anyone before.”</p><p>“It’s a terrible thing to live with,” he said softly. “But I don’t regret bearing it so you don’t have to. And besides, it wasn’t the first time for me.” </p><p>Clarke felt at a loss for words. How could she ever explain to Bellamy how much it meant to her. His friendship, his help, his forgiveness. </p><p>She settled for, “Thank you, Bell. Sweet dreams,” but it felt inadequate considering the circumstances.</p><p>He gave her a small smile, “Goodnight, Princess.” He stood up and walked a few feet to the couch before curling up on it. </p><p>Clarke looked at him for a minute before she flicked her hand and the candlelight died. Sleep washed over her like a wave the instant her eyes shut.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you thought of this chapter! It was more dialogue than I've ever written and I hope the characters come off as accurate portrayals. Also, you probably noticed I threw in a few lines from the show! I'm gonna try to do that sometimes when it works. And now Bellamy can call her Princess, which I'm definitely excited about. I toyed with making him a lot more angry that she's Fire Nation and not forgiving her for a while, but this just flowed naturally when I started writing the chapter. Please leave some kudos or comments!</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Eight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Without further ado, a little bit of Bellamy's POV! Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bellamy woke up to the sound of screaming. Clarke screaming. He twisted his body rapidly to get off the couch, identifying Clarke’s silhouette in the dark, half sitting up in bed and panting. </p><p>Bellamy was at her side in an instant, sitting on the edge of the bed to her left. </p><p>“Clarke? Hey, Clarke, you’re okay,” he murmured as Clarke stared at him with wide eyes that were dimly illuminated by the moon outside.</p><p>She let out a small whimper before the tears that she had been holding in all day began to fall. </p><p>On instinct, Bellamy shifted closer to her and held out his arms. She collapsed against his chest as he drew her in closer. He tightened his arms around her and pressed his cheek against the top of her head.</p><p>“Was it a nightmare, Princess? You’re safe here, I promise,” he whispered against her soft hair. </p><p>The sky was still dark outside, they had probably only slept a few hours before she woke up.</p><p>“Yes,” Clarke said between her sobs. “I’m s-sorry I-I woke you up.”</p><p>“It’s alright, I get nightmares too,” Bellamy admitted softly, feeling like it was safe to be honest in the darkness of his apartment. </p><p>“This whole horrible day and I-I didn’t cry and now I c-can’t stop,” Clarke said, but her tears were slowing somewhat. Bellamy could feel the dampness of her cheeks on his bare chest and suddenly became aware that she was very warm and pressed very close to his body. </p><p>“Shhh, Clarke. It’s okay. Just let go,” he whispered.</p><p>She nodded against his chest and buried her face upwards a bit until she was nestled against his neck with Bellamy supporting her body as he leaned back against the wall behind his bed. </p><p>“You can sleep now, Princess, you’re safe,” he said softly, his lips moving against her hair. He wasn’t going to say out loud that he secretly hoped she would fall asleep in his arms. He couldn’t believe he was thinking those thoughts about a Fire Nation princess. He clenched his jaw slightly to make the thoughts retreat. She was just his friend Clarke, who needed his help. </p><p>She let out a deep breath and he could feel her eyes blink against his skin before closing. He gently lowered his own body and her with him until he was lying flat on the bed. She tucked herself easily into his left side, her head still pressed into the crook of his neck.</p><p>He was acutely aware of the warmth of her body, the fact she was wearing his shirt and the tickle of her exhales against his skin. One of her hands reached up his body and pressed into his chest, while her other was pressed to his side underneath herself. </p><p>He closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing since Clarke’s had already slowed, signaling that she was asleep again. He couldn’t even begin to process the events of the day and yet the memories jumbled into his head as he tried to fall asleep. </p><p>
  <em>He was heading home from drinks with Murphy when he heard a scream in the distance. It wasn’t unusual to hear disturbing things in the lower ring, but it sounded like someone was in trouble nearby. He picked up his pace towards the sound and realized he had reached his apartment.</em>
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  <em>He looked around but the street was empty and dark. Bellamy had paused, taken a deep breath and reached out with his bending, listening intently for movement on the ground nearby. </em>
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  <em>That’s when he heard two men shouting to his left. He turned abruptly and ran down the alley. At the end of it, he saw the silhouettes of the men, standing over a woman on the ground. Their faces were visible, lit up by a light source that he couldn’t see. He recognized the look of anger and hunger on their faces, they were clearly in the middle of attacking this girl. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He took a breath and shifted his left foot forward on the ground, sensing the steady earth beneath him. He bent his forward leg and stepped his right foot backward as his left hand reached out. As he let out his breath, he slammed his right hand towards his left, feeling the ground in front of him rear upwards and rush forward.</em>
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  <em>The two men had no time to react as the stone knocked them away from the woman, slamming into them and sending them sprawling across the ground. He dropped his hands and quickly ran over to the girl, who had her head turned away from him, staring at the men on the ground in shock.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The first thing he noticed was that her arms were in front of her and in each palm she held a flame. The second thing he noticed was her soft golden hair, her light eyes and the familiar face of his friend Clarke. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Time seemed to slow down. The light left her palms as she turned to look back, searching for whoever had earth bended the men away from her. The alley was only dimly lit by the moon above them, but it was as clear as day to Bellamy Blake that the girl beneath him was Clarke and Clarke was a firebender. </em>
</p><p>He let out a sigh and bent his head slightly to look at the girl who clung to him in his bed. Should he go back to the couch now that she was asleep? She probably wouldn’t even remember her nightmare in the morning and would wake up angry and confused that he was sleeping beside her. </p><p>Bellamy had thought Clarke was beautiful from the first time he saw her, tumbling out of an aisle at Monty’s family’s store. She looked almost familiar to him, even though he was sure he hadn’t met her before. He had brushed it off and ignored the blush that spread across her cheeks from the embarrassment that day. He rarely wasted time thinking about which girls were beautiful or not, his mind was busy with the goal of finding his sister. When he needed to let off steam with a woman, he could always find one that was passably pretty in a bar. </p><p>He was glad he had become friends with Clarke. They hadn’t known each other for long, but he knew they were similar in many ways. She was stubborn like him and not afraid to challenge him either. They were both idealists at heart but had been worn down by their experiences. Clarke was methodical and analytical, but she was always trying to help the people she cared about.</p><p>He was fiercely loyal like she was, but for so long he had only let that loyalty extend to Octavia. Now he felt it growing, not just for his friends but for his country as well. She made him want to be better, to help more, to get his hope back despite the fact that she was also clearly struggling to be optimistic about life. </p><p>Bellamy couldn't ignore the fact that he was angry with her, despite how much he logically knew that she lied to protect herself. He had spent years hating the Fire Nation, and not just the royal family, but hating everyone involved in the country whatsoever. Clarke may have left it behind, but she spent almost eighteen years there beforehand. Could he really trust her? Trust that she was different from the soldiers that murdered his mother, different from the noblemen who ruled conquered Earth Kingdom cities, different from the royal family that laughed while people burned? As much as he shouldn't trust her, he felt like he knew her. She would never hurt someone unless she had to, and she would never hurt him. </p><p>He breathed in deeply, Clarke smelled like spices, cinnamon specifically. He let himself enjoy the warmth of her skin while one of his hands snaked into her hair, gently sifting through the tangled strands. It didn’t take long for sleep to creep up on him, lulled into it by her soft skin and gentle breaths.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter doesn't have a lot of new plot, but I wanted a little Bellarke fluff after the intensity of the last two chapters. Also I wanted to see how Bellamy interpreted the events of the day and how he was feeling about Clarke post all the revelations. Let me know if you have any feedback!</p>
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